


Flames don’t cast a shadow

by DunceJoy



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 19:26:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19362877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DunceJoy/pseuds/DunceJoy
Summary: Triumphant Willow time





	Flames don’t cast a shadow

"So... hungry..."

Here lies whatever's is left of a man of science. Krampus was no good once he placed you on the naughty list. Wilson knew he should've waited for a koalefant instead, but suspicious dirt piles didn't seem as tempting now that he knew of ewecuses. And for his cowardice, he shall pay the price. All the rabbits he'd gathered were now long gone together with most of his gems. Only the things in his pocket and backpack remained untouched, along with a few of his less important chests.

"What am I to do now? Night is coming and I'm starving!"

Wilson, less gentlemanly now than what he once was, began rummaging through his backpack in search of something, anything.

When it seemed he wouldn't have any luck with his backpack he checked his ice box once more. There was a half-spoiled hambat laying there. Tempting... but also don't think it's edible anymore.

Wilson threw a log into his fire and slumped down in defeat.

"So, this is the end for Wilson Perceval Higgsbury..." he said, looking at nothing in particular before his eyes caught a glimpse of something just out of his campfires reach.

"By science... do my eyes deceive me or is that.."

A wide smile of triumph comes to shape as Wilson leaps on all fours towards what he had found. As he caught it he proceeded to hold it up towards the sky for all(or no one, really) to see. 

"A SINGLE SEED!"

A small laugh could be heard from the dark. A woman's laugh. Did Wilson really sound that feminine? Wait, that wasn't him.

"Who goes there! You best be vary of me. I have a weapon! Not on me, but it is present around here and very real!"

The voice spoke, still not visible to the man of science, "What? The disgusting meat thingy in your fridge?"

"Precisely-wait how do you know the contents of my ice box?"

The woman laughed again, slightly more sinister this time. 

"I know a lot of things, mr science guy."

A chill was sent down Wilson's spine as he realized who he was talking to. It was her.

"I know who you are."

"Oh really, tell me."

Wilson stutters with his words as he began to doubt his own conclusion.

"Are... are you Charlie?"

Silence. Then a giggle, which was quickly followed by hollering laughter.

"Excuse me who?! Oh no no no. She's long gone."

"Really?" Wilson said hopeful.

"That doesn't mean I'm not just as dangerous as her, if not more."

"Oh." his expression dropped.

"Then... who are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the voice scoffed.

"Yes I would."

"Rhetorical question, genius."

Clearly, whatever he was talking to did not seem very chatty. He decided it was just one of his many hallucinations and continued to search his camp for anything edible. 

It seemed like the voice had left him alone for a while, before Wilson suddenly felt that same chill up his spine.

"But, if you came into the darkness you might catch a glimpse of me", the voice was back, and a bit more giggly than before. Wilson was intrigued for a moment before quickly realizing what was happening.

"As if, the darkness brings nothing but trouble."

"Charlie, brought you nothing but trouble. And she's not here anymore."

Still not convinced (as he should), Wilson continued to resist the offer.

"How do I know if I can trust you?"

The voice was quiet, possibly thinking through its response. Quiet footsteps filled the empty darkness as a woman stepped forward.

"We're the same, scientist."

Wilson eyed her up and down, she was definitely not human, at least not anymore. 

"I'm not so sure about that..."

"I was once exactly like you, scared and barely surviving, but the darkness helped me! And I joined Them!

Them. Capital T. Wilson had definitely found mentions of Them before. Though he was certainly uncertain who they were.

The woman continued, "join me and you'll see how fun it is here!"

Our beloved dumbass scientist stared at the woman still, he looked at her curled pigtails, her huge, empty eyes, her endearing smile and nice phys-

"Are you there? Hellooo?"

Wilson blinked, his cheeks turning rosy out of embarrassment. Staring was definitely not gentlemanly. 

"May I... get your name?"

The woman seemed taken aback for some reason, I mean he was only asking her name. 

"It's... it's none of your business."

Ah, of course. Oh well, he might as well introduce himself. 

"Well," he started while standing up and taking out his hand, "my name is Wilson Perceval Higgs-"

Before he could say anything else the woman had grabbed him and pulled him into the dark.

"Bad move, Wilson." She said with a sickening grin. Wilson felt his heart drop in fear. Is this where he dies? In the arms of this mystery woman? He tried tearing himself away from her, but she was strong. That monstrous arm she had gotten could have also been the case. 

"I'm starting to think we're not as alike."

The woman's smile only grew larger. "Give your victim a sense of solidarity then strike em!"

Her other hand (monstrous as well) rose up as she was readying herself to strike. In pure panic Wilson blurted out his last words.

"Your hair looks nice!"

She froze, confused. "Excuse me what? I'm killing you."

"Well I'm still alive, aren't I?"

This surprisingly saved him some seconds.

"Why are you initiating conversation with me?!"

Wilson gulped, "you... seem like you'd be a reasonable person... excluding all the murder, of course."

"I won't hesitate to slit you open."

"You do realize you are currently hesitating."

Taken aback once more, she throws our dummy science man to the ground and pouts, "I don't wanna deal with this anymore. You're no fun."

So, she wants fun. Are her idea of it was murder. How lovely. Well she had left now, in a cloud of black smoke. And just as she was gone Wilson realized he was still hungry.

"I'm going to starve to death aren't I? Haha.. hah... this is no laughing matter."

He looked over at his camp (if you could even call it that) and noticed his fire had gotten too low for his liking. A couple more logs should do the trick. It should have at least, he's got no logs.

...

An absolute idiot in the dark with a half worn out torch and a will to live runs out to gather twigs for his sad, sad fire. 

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH", he screams.

Several minutes of screaming and running back and forth from the forest to his camp, and he had a decent fire going again. 

"That was a close one." 

Just for the record, that wasn't Wilson speaking.

"... Why are you still here?", he sounded meaner than he intended to. His head mustn't be doing too good.

That same woman came to the light, though it didn't seem to affect her much, if at all. It was almost as if she wasn't truly there. Wilson decided it was a question for later. If of course, she doesn't murderer him right now.

"You're funny to watch at times, so I stayed a while." She was mocking him and Wilson was not having it. 

"What am I to you, entertainment?"

"Yeah!"

"Of course." He looked away, annoyed with her lack of respect.

She was eyeing his fire. It made him nervous. If she is anything like Charlie it's only a matter of time before she puts it out. Wilson had a torch, he'd be fine.

"There's one thing, though, that I miss from being... I guess alive..."

She was soft spoken, and sort of sad. Wilson could see her reaching for his fire and he clung onto his torch ready to reignite it. But he noticed something. As her hand got closer to the flames it started to disappear, and the woman quickly pulled it away. 

"I miss my lighter, and my forest fires... but now I can only stay in the shadows, and flames don't cast a shadow."

She was sincere, he knew it. And he felt bad. But curiosity about this mystery lady's past started to occupy his mind. He had to ask.

"Who were you before all this?"

She laughed, definitely not out of joy. "I don't remember."

Wilson, being the gentleman he is, decided to scoot to the side and make some room for her. She saw what he was doing, but it didn't seem like she'd cooperate.

"Yeah no."

Mhm yup. Wilson just shrugged it off and continued with his questioning. 

"What made you take such a liking to fire?"

"I told you peas for brains, I don't remember!"

"Anything? Anything at all?"

"All I know is I came here a weak human, then I joined the shadows."

"So no name either..."

She gave him a light nod. He knows he should be fearing this lady, but she seemed so genuinely upset. She wanted to remember, he knows she does. A simple "I'm sorry" was all he could say to her. 

"You have nothing to apologize for you don't even know me."

A long pause. Then Wilson makes his worst and greatest decision yet.

"I'd like to know you."

Another pause, then a slightly welcoming smile from the woman as she finally took her place beside Wilson. A wave of calmness hit her as she struck up a conversation with this crazy-haired nerd. Even so, this wasn't ideal. She still had a mission, a mission They wouldn't let her forget.


End file.
